Before Netrikann, a look at films like Imaikka Nodigal, Aramm that helped Nayanthara reinvent herself

In an industry that is ruled by male stars, the rise of popular southern actor Nayanthara has been impressive. From playing a quintessential heroine for nearly a decade, Nayanthara has reinvented herself in the last few years, making smart career choices and daring to go solo in films such as Maya, Dora and Kolamavu Kokila among others. Ahead of the release of her latest film Netrikann, here’s a look at five of her best thrillers and where can you stream them.

Kolamavu Kokila (Zee 5)

In Nelson’s Kolamavu Kokila, Nayanthara plays a girl who decides to smuggle drugs to earn money for her mother’s treatment. Throughout the film, she appears scared to death, but when an opportunity presents itself, she doesn’t hesitate to double-cross and get people killed for her survival. The film went on to strike gold at the box-office and established the fact that Nayanthara doesn’t require a hero to deliver a blockbuster. The film went on to crush many hero-centric Tamil films that year at the box-office.

Maya (MX Player)

Ashwin Saravanan’s neo noir horror thriller broke many stereotypes usually associated with the genre. Nayanthara headlined this horror flick at a time Tamil cinema was thriving on horror-comedies. She could’ve chosen to work in a horror-comedy but she chose Maya over what was considered the norm and emerged successful. Not only did Maya appeal to the audience and critics alike, it went on to click at the box-office. It was Nayanthara’s first major attempt at going solo and it marked the beginning of a new wave.

Dora (Zee 5)

Backing the vision of another first-time filmmaker, Nayanthara played a simple girl named Pavalakkodi, who later becomes a rebel after she gets her hands on an Austin Cambridge car in Dora. The film may have earned mixed response at the box-office but Nayanthara was lauded for her choice of script. The film turned the regular horror template on its head with an emotional back story. In the film, Nayanthara avenges the death of a young girl with the help of her dead dog’s spirit.

Imaikka Nodigal (Amazon Prime)

Imaikka Nodigal featured Nayanthara in the role of a Crime Branch- Crime Investigation Department officer. It was with this project that Nayanthara truly embraced grey-shaded characters. The film shows that she has a violent past – one where she tortures people to death - and it’s the grey shades that almost gave audiences the creeps. Even though a multi-starrer, the film worked majorly due to Nayanthara’s presence and her unpredictable character. The film was Nayanthara’s second blockbuster of 2018 after Kolamavu Kokila.

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Aramm (Amazon Prime & MX Player)

Nayanthara’s willingness to experiment and go against the grain has helped her break the image of how a mainstream heroine is presented onscreen. In Aramm, directed by another debutant filmmaker Gopi Nainar, Nayanthara played a fearless, no-nonsense district collector. Unlike her contemporaries, Nayanthara was open to taking risks and Aramm was one risk that paid-off. When a young girl falls into a deep bore well and battles for life, the situation sees Nayanthara as the local collector take charge and rise to the occasion.